A Summer Playhouse: EKTA Spring/Summer 2016

Ekta Kalan is the founder and fashion designer behind newly launched womenswear label: EKTA. “EKTA is a clothing label celebrating life, playfulness and sophistication in one,” says Ekta, who draws inspiration from her Indian heritage. “EKTA meaning ‘Unity’ in Sanskrit is what the label represents, a way of bringing oneness and a new story by fusing together the love of old crafts and techniques with modern living.”

Her first ever collection is elegant, contemporary and cool, featuring clean cut skirts, shirts, shift dresses and tailored trousers. A combination of modern geometric prints and shapes in sugar-sweet shades of pink, yellow, orange and cyan add an element of fun. The look book below reflects the exuberant spirit of the brand, styled by Sheena Bagshawe and lensed by JP Hanekom, the team focused on bold colour blocking, making use of bright backdrops to compliment the clothing.

Ekta also explains that her designs are high quality, affordable luxury. “The first collection introduces high-quality cottons and cotton sateen that bring out the colour intensity, brightness and natural sheen of the clothing. We used cotton silk for some pieces to add to that luxury feel as well as Viscose Modal to give that silk luxury look that is also great for summer. I wanted a collection that is a strong South African brand with international quality and luxury.”

At the moment Ekta is at work designing the next two seasons collections for 2017/18. She has ambitious plans to expand into menswear and grow EKTA into a globally recognized brand.